Teacher Preparation in Scotland

This book charts the origins and development of teacher preparation in Scotland from 1872 onwards, covering key milestones in policy and practice, and looking ahead to the future.Rachel Shanks, in this edited collection, brings together a narrative of the drivers influencing teacher preparation in Scotland across the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries, answering fundamental questions: How has the role of universities in teacher preparation and the acceptance of education as an academic discipline changed over time? What have been the impact of policy changes such as Curriculum for Excellence and the Donaldson Report ‘Teaching Scotland’s Future’? What role does partnership-working play in the preparation of teachers in Scotland?The book includes contributions on the historical development of teacher preparation and the current pathways into teaching which include undergraduate degrees, the one year Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Online and Distance Learning and Masters routes. There are individual chapters on the topics of school placement, teacher induction, Catholic teacher preparation, the Episcopal Teaching Training College, and the preparation of English language teachers. Concluding with suggestions on how teacher preparation may develop in the future, this book is a truly comprehensive record of the historic, current and potential evolution of teacher preparation in Scotland.

Reviews of Teacher Preparation in Scotland

'There exists a sustained scrutiny on how well initial teacher education prepares individuals for the realities of life as a teacher. The contributions in this comprehensive overview of the history and development of teacher education in Scotland present an opportunity to reflect on all aspects of our system supporting teacher professionalism. Almost a decade on from 'Teaching Scotland's Future', this collection provides essential reading, whatever your role or interest in the preparation of teachers, and offers a catalyst for an integrated approach to future change.' — Pauline Stephen, Director of Education, Registration and Professional Learning, The General Teaching Council for Scotland 'This book is an important addition to the study of teacher preparation providing an in-depth exploration of teacher preparation in Scottish education. It combines historical perspectives with discussions of current developments, analysing the challenges faced by teacher education. Teacher preparation in Scotland, unlike other systems in the UK, is solely university-based. The early chapters provide a historical overview of the place of the discipline of education in universities, the development of government policy on teacher training, the establishment of colleges of education and then and more recently in the 1990s, through a series of mergers, university-based teacher preparation. What will strike the reader is how many of the issues that teacher educators grapple with today are in evidence in earlier phases. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of current key issues from a Scottish perspective. Each chapter deals with a specific dimension and the book as a whole provides a comprehensive coverage of the current ITE landscape, highlighting some of the ongoing issues such as university programmes, partnerships and placements as well as innovative practice. The book reflects on the central question facing all teacher educators, where should teacher preparation happen, where do student teachers learn best? The book is an important reference work drawing on policy, research and the scholarly literature.' — Professor Christine Forde, Emeritus, University of Glasgow 'This volume is to be warmly welcomed and includes contributions by many of the leading teacher education researchers in Scotland. Teacher preparation and development have long been seen as a key element of Scottish society and culture. In the twenty first century we have seen very significant developments in the nature of that provision. These innovations are very well covered in this book but they are underpinned by some excellent historical scholarship. These elements are combined to create what will be the definitive account of teacher education in Scotland for many years to come.' — Ian Menter, Emeritus Professor of Teacher Education, University of Oxford